DNA unzipping and the unbinding of directed polymers in a random media

We consider the unbinding of a directed polymer in a random media from a wall in $d=1+1$ dimensions and a simple one-dimensional model for DNA unzipping. Using the replica trick we show that the restricted partition functions of these problems are {\em identical} up to an overall normalization factor. Our finding gives an example of a generalization of the stochastic matrix form decomposition to disordered systems; a method which effectively allows to reduce dimensionality of the problem. The equivalence between the two problems, for example, allows us to derive the probability distribution for finding the directed polymer a distance $z$ from the wall. We discuss implications of these results for the related Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation and the asymmetric exclusion process.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, minor modifications, added discussion on stochastic matrix form decompositio

One Action System or Two? Evidence for Common Central Preparatory Mechanisms in Voluntary and Stimulus-Driven Actions

Human behavior is comprised of an interaction between intentionally driven actions and reactions to changes in the environment. Existing data are equivocal concerning the question of whether these two action systems are independent, involve different brain regions, or overlap. To address this question we investigated whether the degree to which the voluntary action system is activated at the time of stimulus onset predicts reaction times to external stimuli.Werecorded event-related potentials while participants prepared and executed left- or right-hand voluntary actions, which were occasionally interrupted by a stimulus requiring either a left- or right-hand response. In trials where participants successfully performed the stimulus-driven response, increased voluntary motor preparation was associated with faster responses on congruent trials (where participants were preparing a voluntary action with the same hand that was then required by the target stimulus), and slower responses on incongruent trials. This suggests that early hand-specific activity in medial frontal cortex for voluntary action trials can be used by the stimulus-driven system to speed responding. This finding questions the clear distinction between voluntary and stimulus-driven action systems. © 2011 the authors

Boundary-induced phase transitions in traffic flow

Boundary-induced phase transitions are one of the surprising phenomena appearing in nonequilibrium systems. These transitions have been found in driven systems, especially the asymmetric simple exclusion process. However, so far no direct observations of this phenomenon in real systems exists. Here we present evidence for the appearance of such a nonequilibrium phase transition in traffic flow occurring on highways in the vicinity of on- and off-ramps. Measurements on a German motorway close to Cologne show a first-order nonequilibrium phase transition between a free-flow phase and a congested phase. It is induced by the interplay of density waves (caused by an on-ramp) and a shock wave moving on the motorway. The full phase diagram, including the effect of off-ramps, is explored using computer simulations and suggests means to optimize the capacity of a traffic network.Comment: 5 figures, revte

Resource design in constrained networks for network lifetime increase

As constrained "things" become increasingly integrated with the Internet and accessible for interactive communication, energy efficient ways to collect, aggregate, and share data over such constrained networks are needed. In this paper, we propose the use of constrained RESTful environments interfaces to build resource collections having a network lifetime increase in mind. More specifically, based on existing atomic resources, collections are created/designed to become available as new resources, which can be observed. Such resource design should not only match client's interests, but also increase network lifetime as much as possible. For this to happen, energy consumption should be balanced/fair among nodes so that node depletion is delayed. When compared with previous approaches, results show that energy efficiency and network lifetime can be increased while reducing control/registration messages, which are used to set up or change observations

Reducing reflections from mesh refinement interfaces in numerical relativity

Full interpretation of data from gravitational wave observations will require accurate numerical simulations of source systems, particularly binary black hole mergers. A leading approach to improving accuracy in numerical relativity simulations of black hole systems is through fixed or adaptive mesh refinement techniques. We describe a manifestation of numerical interface truncation error which appears as slowly converging, artificial reflections from refinement boundaries in a broad class of mesh refinement implementations, potentially compromising the effectiveness of mesh refinement techniques for some numerical relativity applications if left untreated. We elucidate this numerical effect by presenting a model problem which exhibits the phenomenon, but which is simple enough that its numerical error can be understood analytically. Our analysis shows that the effect is caused by variations in finite differencing error generated across low and high resolution regions, and that its slow convergence is caused by the presence of dramatic speed differences among propagation modes typical of 3+1 relativity. Lastly, we resolve the problem, presenting a class of finite differencing stencil modifications, termed mesh-adapted differencing (MAD), which eliminate this pathology in both our model problem and in numerical relativity examples.Comment: 7 page

A Multi-Objective Optimization Approach for Fault-Tolerance Provisioning in Multi-Radio Hybrid Wireless-Optical Broadband Access Networks

Wireless-optical broadband-access networks (WOBANs), currently being deployed at the access section, should integrate fault-tolerance in their design so that geographically continuous wireless coverage can be provided without service breaks. In this paper we propose a joint wireless and optical fault-tolerance planning approach for WOBANs having multiple radios in each router. The problem is formalized, as a multi-objective optimization problem, and a heuristic is proposed to solve this problem. Two fault-tolerance planning scenarios, where gateways are arranged differently in the risk groups, are analysed. It is shown that multi-radio routers can be exploited to improve the performance of WOBANs, providing wireless and optical fault-tolerance. Results also indicate that, when using our approach, a small increase in the number of radios can significantly decrease the total capacity required to provide any degree of fault-tolerance.This work was supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology from Portugal within CEOT (Center for Electronic, Optoelectronic and Telecommunications) and by the project PTDC/EEA-TEL/71678/2006

Hubble's law and faster than light expansion speeds

Naively applying Hubble's law to a sufficiently distant object gives a receding velocity larger than the speed of light. By discussing a very similar situation in special relativity, we argue that Hubble's law is meaningful only for nearby objects with non-relativistic receding speeds. To support this claim, we note that in a curved spacetime manifold it is not possible to directly compare tangent vectors at different points, and thus there is no natural definition of relative velocity between two spatially separated objects in cosmology. We clarify the geometrical meaning of the Hubble's receding speed v by showing that in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker spacetime if the four-velocity vector of a comoving object is parallel-transported along the straight line in flat comoving coordinates to the position of a second comoving object, then v/c actually becomes the rapidity of the local Lorentz transformation, which maps the fixed four-velocity vector to the transported one.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Am. J. Phy

A heuristic for fault-tolerance provisioning in multi-radio hybrid wireless-optical broadband access network

The wireless-optical broadband-access network (WOBAN) architecture has been proposed as a flexible and cost-effective solution for future access networks. However, for WOBANs to provide geographically continuous wireless coverage it is necessary to integrate fault-tolerance in the design of such networks. In this paper we develop a heuristic algorithm to solve the problem of planning a wireless and optical fault-tolerant multi-radio WOBAN, considering any fault-tolerance scenario (e.g. some nodes/links/region only), while making an efficient reuse of spectrum

Duality and exact correlations for a model of heat conduction

We study a model of heat conduction with stochastic diffusion of energy. We obtain a dual particle process which describes the evolution of all the correlation functions. An exact expression for the covariance of the energy exhibits long-range correlations in the presence of a current. We discuss the formal connection of this model with the simple symmetric exclusion process.Comment: 19 page

Exact and Quasi-exact Models of Strange Stars

We construct and compare a variety of simple models for strange stars, namely, hypothetical self-bound objects made of a cold stable version of the quark-gluon plasma. Exact, quasi-exact and numerical models are examined to find the most economical description for these objects. A simple and successful parametrization of them is given in terms of the central density, and many differences among the models are explicitly shown and discussed.Comment: 20 pp. 15 figures, to appear in IJMP